A Day in town.
by Marcie Gore
Summary: Dick and Babs take two year old Beth to the mall with Hilarious results The follow up to Christmas Miracle of love and Criminal Intent.


A day in town   
  
By Marcie Gore   
Summery: Two-year-old Beth Grayson and her parents go to the mall and wackiness   
ensues. This is in the same continuity as Christmas Miracle of love and Criminal intent.   
Rated G. Unless you hate ADORABLE tots and their Behavior Scares you. This was   
inspired by the memory of my nephew's behavior when we took him to the mall when he   
was about that age. By the Way I am issuing a spew warning for this story.   
Beth. We're going to the mall to get you some new shoes and Mommy a dress. We'll   
get something to eat there, and if you're good you can get an ice cream.   
" Me too, Mommy? Dick asks in his best little boy voice. I want one too!"   
Yes, you can Munchkin, if you're good, I tell my husband, who's acting like my son at   
the moment. I can't resist him when he does that.   
After driving around for about ten minutes looking for a parking space, we finally find   
one and go in through the front door. I just remembered we forgot Beth's stroller. We go   
to customer service and they're out. Oh well, the department store we're going to first has   
some for rent.   
Dick and I both hold her hand and walk her to the store. We reach the rental center. I   
let go of her hand to get a stroller. The minute I do she takes the opportunity to escape!   
We have to chase her all around the store. She runs up and down aisles, hiding behind   
clothes racks. Every time we get close she takes off giggling, pigtails flying in the breeze.   
She seems to think she's playing hide and seek. People are staring at us. We finally catch   
up with her near the rest rooms. Dick grabs her and straps her in the stroller.   
  
I warn Beth not to do that again, then I remind her if she doesn't behave she won't get   
an after lunch ice cream. Beth hangs her head in shame and says, "I'm sorry Mommy."   
She behaves the rest of the time we're in O Neill's department store. We take her to   
the shoe department to get her the pair of shoes we came to get. She picks out a pair of   
pink and white Dragon Tails sneakers.  
Next I buy a royal blue cocktail dress for a Wayne enterprises corporate party next   
week. Dick helps me pick out matching purse, a necklace, and earrings.   
  
Next I decide I want to go to Bath and Body works. Dick decides to go to a computer   
store next door. I buy several types of bath gels and lotions. I'm smelling a rose scented   
massage oil when I hear a loud thud and Beth crying. I turn around to see that she's   
knocked over a display.   
I'm embarrassed to ask the sales person to help me to pick up the mess my daughter has   
made, but I do. I apologize to him as he straightens up. I pay for my purchases and leave.   
  
  
We met Dick at the food court for lunch. Beth orders a Chic filet Kids meal and an ice   
cream. OK, so she wasn't an angel today. She was just being curious at Bath and Body   
works and she said she was sorry for running off earlier .I'm the world's biggest softy   
when it comes to my baby. Dick and I get Chinese.   
After we finish eating I spot one of Beth's friends, Andrew Bailey he's also two. And   
his mom, Madlyn, and her sister Marcie, who leads my Paralysis support group at the   
hospital. She's with her boyfriend James. I like Madlyn and Marcie. Andrew is a sweet   
kid too, but I think he has more energy than Beth, if that's possible. His nickname is Bam   
Bam   
. Which is fitting, he's strong as well as having an abundance of energy. . When those   
two get together trouble usually follows. At least right now they're both sitting contently   
at the table coloring their place mats.   
The four adults sit and talk about the kids and life in general. We glance over at the   
kids occasionally. Marcie tells me she's engaged to be married in the Spring. I give her a   
hug. The next time we see the kids they are running in the direction of the pet store, with   
their ice cream bowels in their hands.   
By the time we catch up with the kids they're already in the pet store. Beth is holding   
a white Persian cat. She's petting it and trying to feed it her ice cream. Andrew is   
trying to liberate a parrot. Madlyn and Marcie handle Andrew; they tell him that if you let   
the birdie out of the cage he might get hurt. Beth begs us to let her have the kitty. She's   
already named her, Snowflake. " I say, we'll think about it." I check the cat out before I   
hand her back to the sales person. No damage done, just a little sticky fur. The sales   
person says, "Don't worry, we'll wash her off."   
That crises over, the kids do time out on a bench next to the fountain. Maybe the sound   
of the water will calm them down. It seems to work for a few minutes we agree that time   
out is over. They can run around just don't get far enough away that we can't see them.   
They agree. .   
We watch them run around, while we rest. The kids come back and ask for some   
change to throw in the fountain and make a wish. I tell them be careful leaning over the   
water. The wall is low.   
Beth suddenly says, "Look at me!" She is walking on the wall of the fountain. She   
helps Andrew get on the wall. Before anyone can stop them they jump in the water.   
They're splashing around like they're in a pool. The water is almost up to their chests.   
What has gotten into my daughter today!  
As Dick prepares to go after the kids, a crowd gathers. He and I go to the side of the   
fountain. He leans over the wall trying to grab the kids' hands. I tell Beth come to   
momma. They both seem to be ignoring us. As a last resort Dick jumps in the fountain   
himself.   
Dick has to chase them for a long time before he emerges from the water with a   
toddler under each arm. They are both dripping wets. I tell the kids to sit on the bench   
and stay there.   
He goes to get a couple of towels from the van. It is a lucky thing we still had them   
in there from our last trip to the beach. We wrap one around Beth. Madlyn wraps the   
other around Andrew.   
When we get to the car I ask Beth, "Why did you do that? You could've gotten hurt!   
You could've hit your head and drowned. We wouldn't have had our little girl anymore,   
that would have made us very sad. We love you sweetie, even when you act like you did   
today."  
" I don't know mommy', Beth says. I'm sorry, I scared you mommy. I love you," she   
says with a pout.   
When we get home she changes into some dry clothes. She has to sit in her time out chair   
in the living room for five minutes. She promises she will never do anything like that   
again.   
Dick tells me he has to run an errand. A half-hour later Beth is taking a nap when Daddy   
returns with a videotape in his hand. He says, Shhh, don't let Beth see the tape.   
I ask, "What is on the tape? Why shouldn't Beth see it?"   
It's the security camera footage of Beth and Andrew's water adventure. I know it's bad,   
but once I thought about what really happened I couldn't quit laughing, Dick says. I   
decided to see if they'd give me the tape. I had to sign a paper saying we wouldn't sue   
them for negligence. After I did, they gave me the tape, and said have a good laugh. They   
had been since they saw it.   
While we're watching it Dick says, "You can tell me the truth Garth is Beth's father   
right?" We both laugh till we cry. Beth hasn't seen the tape yet. I think we'll save it till   
she has her first boyfriend over to the house.  
  
  
Two weeks later we went back to the mall. This time Beth was a little angel,   
and, yes she finally got to take Snowflake home with her. She deserved it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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